NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAYS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN AFGHANISTAN

Press Release
AFG/109

NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAYS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN AFGHANISTAN

ISLAMABAD, 5 November (United Nations Information Centre) -- Initial reports indicate that more children were covered during the latest round of National Immunization Days (NIDs) than in May and June this year. The immunization campaign aims to eradicate polio from Afghanistan by the year 2000.

According to the observation of the monitors, who included senior staff from United Nations Childrens' Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Public Health and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), there was a very good turn out of children under five. The increase may be due to increased out-reach activities, house to house visits in several locations (Herat and Kabul) and extensive use of megaphones for social mobilization, especially through mosques, before and during the immunization campaigns.

Results from the eastern Afghan provinces of Nangahar, Laghman, and Kunar suggest very good coverage. The overall result will be available in a week or two. Special arrangements were made to administer the vaccine to nomadic children and children of the population who were travelling.

To reach more children, supplementary immunization programmes in the form of NIDs are held to provide oral polio vaccine to all children under five years of age in Afghanistan. An independent assessment carried out soon after the first and second round of NIDs held in May and June showed that out of a 4.3 million target population, 3.6 million were covered. This impressive coverage has been achieved as a result of countrywide efforts. It is estimated that about 600,000 children in 20 districts missed the earlier immunisation due to conflict.

Besides special emphasis on NIDs for polio eradication, UNICEF and WHO also support the Expanded Immunization Programme (EPI) in Afghanistan to protect children against six preventable diseases -- diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, polio, and tuberculosis. The present immunization coverage rate among this group of children is estimated at 40 per cent.

To implement the regular immunization programme successfully, UNICEF provides technical, managerial and operational support to EPI's Regional and Provincial Management Teams that operate under the Ministry of Public Health. UNICEF also supports NGOs for the same objective.

Polio eradication in Afghanistan will largely depend on the rapid acceleration and sustained effort to increase immunization coverage among infants to increase the chances of their survival.

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